Richard Arnold told Manchester United’s latest fans’ forum that fans will continue to be ‘integral’

The ‘integral’ role of supporters of Manchester United’s success will be emphasized to potential new owners and investors, Richard Arnold has said.

The Glazers are looking to end their highly controversial 18-year ownership of United after they put the club up for sale last year by welcoming new potential buyers and investors.

The Raine Group, which oversaw the sale of Chelsea, which was eventually sold to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital for £2.25bn, is looking for a buyer. This is reportedly expected to be fixed before the end of the season.

Richard Arnold has stressed that the supporters will remain an “integral” part of the club’s structure going forward, even under new ownership.

Arnold, Manchester United’s chief executive, said on a fan forum last month that his commitment to increasing fan engagement since the breakup of the planned Super League breakout will not die out under the new ownership.

“What is clear is that the fans will be integral to Manchester United’s success under any ownership model, and we see this body as an important part of the club’s governance structure, whatever happens with the strategic review.

“We’ll certainly advise any potential new investors on the value of the fan engagement processes we’ve built over the past few years, and recommend that they continue to go from strength to strength,” he said.

Arnold has sought to improve fan engagement relationships since the Super League plot broke.

United have been pushing to improve fan engagement following the breakup of the planned Super League project involving all of the ‘top six’ Premier League clubs.

That led to widespread protests, even as the UK was still in the midst of a Covid lockdown that lasted until early spring.

United’s home game with Liverpool that season had to be postponed due to around 100 fans storming the stadium and accessing the pitch.

Steps taken since then have included the creation of a Fan Advisory Board, fan advisory board extensions, and a fan engagement scheme, which has failed to get off the ground despite promises made by the Glazer family. A United spokesperson told The Guardian in April last year: “significant progress has been made, but this is a complex project and we continue to work towards a strong and attractive proposition for fans.”

The Glazers are seeking buyers for Manchester United as they look to bring the curtain down on their highly controversial property tenure.

Manchester United’s chief executive was unable to give a clear update on the progress of the sale.

Arnold’s encouraging words follow a joint statement from supporter groups around the world last month urging the new owners to reverse the steep decline they feel the club has experienced under Glazer family ownership.

“We hope we have a new owner who cares, invests and, above all, recognizes that his role as Manchester United manager is to run the club in partnership with the fans, in a way that recognizes that a football club is much more than just a business asset,’ the letter said.

Arnold stressed at the fan forum, held on December 13, that he couldn’t say much beyond the statement the Glazers had made during the World Cup about the possible sale of the club.

‘As part of this process, the Board will consider all strategic alternatives, including a new investment in the club, a sale or other transactions involving the Company,’ it said.

Fans stormed the ground in May 2021 after the breakup of the Super League leak

This will include an assessment of various initiatives to strengthen the club, including the redevelopment of the stadium and infrastructure, and the expansion of the club’s commercial operations on a global scale, each in the context of enhancing the long-term success of the men’s teams. , female and female of the club. academy teams and bring benefits to fans and other stakeholders.

“It is not yet known when and in what form that investment will be made, but I am confident that it will be a positive process for the club because we all understand the capital needs that we have, in terms of remodeling the stadium and the training ground while we continue to build a winning team.

The fan forum minutes also revealed that, as of December 13, 2,000 ticket-related sanctions had been issued and another 500 cases were still under appeal. As of that date, United had only played six home games.

Sam Kelleher, the club’s head of ticketing and membership, said: “As you can see from these figures, it’s still a real problem that directly affects fans who want to come watch the team play and are, through no fault of their own, often paying above face value for “fake” or tampered tickets.’